1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a brake device, particularly to a dual-bearing reel spool brake device configured to brake a spool rotatably mounted in a reel unit, and further relates to a dual-bearing reel.
2. Background Art
In dual-baring reels to be used for casting, braking force is generally applied to a spool for preventing backlash that is caused when the rotation speed of the spool becomes faster than the fishing-line releasing speed in casting. Spool brake devices are thus configured to apply braking force to spools, and some of them are well known to brake the spool by centrifugal force generated by spool rotation and be able to regulate braking force from the outside of the reel units.
Some of the well-known spool brake devices include a brake drum that is mounted in the reel unit while being able to be located in a plurality of axial positions (see e.g., Japan Laid-open Patent Application Publication Nos. JP-A-H11-299402 (see especially FIG. 6) and JP-A-2000-245314). In the spool brake device of the publication No. JP-A-H11-299402, brake shoes are configured to be rotated in conjunction with spool rotation and make contact with the outer peripheral surface of the brake drum. The outer peripheral surface of the brake drum is tapered while the diameter thereof is reduced towards the spool. By a moving mechanism, the brake drum can be located in a plurality of positions along the axial direction of a spool shaft. The brake shoes are pivotable about axes arranged skew to the spool shaft
In the spool brake device of the publication No. JP-A-H11-299402, each brake shoe is pivotably supported by a pin disposed on a bracket fixed to the spool shall. Each brake shoe makes contact with the tapered surface of the brake drum at the tip thereof that is movable radially inwards. In the spool brake device, braking force can be regulated with a variety of levels by the contact of the brake shoes with the outer peripheral surface of the brake drum.
Further, another one of the well-known spool brake devices has a structure that a brake drum is disposed on the outer peripheral side of pivotable brake shoes (see the publication No. JP-A-2000-245314). In the spool brake device of the publication No. JP-A-2000-245314, the brake drum has a cylindrical shape and is axially moved by a moving mechanism. The brake shoes are retained by a locking plate fixed to a rotary member by a screw.
In the spool brake device of the publication No. JP-A-H11-299402, the brake shoes are pivotably supported by the pins disposed on the bracket fixed to the spool shaft. Therefore, the brake shoes cannot be easily replaced.
In the spool brake device of the publication No. JP-A-2000-245314, the pivotable brake shoes are retained by the locking plate fixed to the rotary member by a screw. Therefore, a tool is required for replacing the brake shoes. Thus, the brake shoes cannot be easily replaced similarly to the spool brake device of the publication No. JP-A-H11-299402.